Demetrious Johnson points out where Sean Strickland went wrong, shares advice after instant reaction to Dricus du Plessis fight: "Swallow your ego"

Demetrious Johnson reacted to the recently concluded UFC 312 pay-per-view card on his YouTube channel. He highlighted Sean Strickland’s lack of adaptability as a key factor in losing to Dricus du Plessis in their rematch.

Du Plessis outworked Strickland early and secured a dominant unanimous decision victory. The South African champion’s superior striking, particularly his kickboxing fundamentals, played a crucial pivotal role in controlling the fight. A clean right hand in the fourth round shattered Strickland’s nose, leaving him bloodied and struggling to adjust. Reacting to the moment when the nose broke, Johnson said:

"Oh sh*t he hurt his nose. That nose is broke! Stop touching the nose [Strickland] you got to fight. Give me three more takedowns DDP. Might as well just start fighting. I love DDP."

In parting thoughts on the fight, Johnson touched upon Strickland’s alleged unwillingness to evolve. He claimed that 'Tarzan' relies heavily on his Philly shell defense and a predictable striking pattern. According to Johnson, Strickland's refusal to change his approach, even when losing, limits his potential in MMA. He said:

"Sean Strickland has a style where he would not not deviate from it whether he's losing a five-round decision or if he's winning a five-round decision... He's been doing that style from the very beginning in the last four years of his career and he'll do it for the next four years of his career. In order to get better in this sport and mixed martial arts you have to take the time. Swallow your pride, swallow your ego, and put yourself in a position where you're going to force yourself to evolve, get better, and learn new tools. That's the only way you're going to become a better fighter in this game."

Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (1:50 and 11:45):

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Belal Muhammad labels Sean Strickland "trash" after UFC 312 loss

Belal Muhammad had a field day while reacting to longtime rival Sean Strickland's loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312. Muhammad, the reigning UFC welterweight champion, has long dismissed Strickland as an unworthy contender and believes his latest defeat confirms it.

Strickland, who previously held the middleweight title, failed to adapt against du Plessis, relying on his usual jab-heavy approach. Muhammad criticized Strickland’s lack of aggression, especially when trailing on the scorecards.

He took to X to share his thoughts on the fight and said:

“I’ve been saying forever he’s trash. He talks a big game, but he never walks. Even to the fans who sit there and hype him up like he’s the best boxer, the best boxing defense, this and that. He’s going to go to war and kill. ‘I would bleed for my fans. I would die for my fans.’ Blah blah blah! But you go out there and he just jabs and teeps and fights like a scared little girl. He doesn’t want to get hit. Even when you’re down four rounds, he doesn’t go all out. He doesn’t have it in him unless it’s five seconds left in the fight.”

Check out Belal Muhammad's X post below: